The first Tiergarten (Zoological Garden) was built in 1527, and wild animals were bred there for the elector princes’ hunting area in the close vicinity of Berlin Castle (Schloss Berlin) to the west of Coeln’s city wall. Later, the hunting area grew considerably, reaching the current borders of the Tierpark, but with the expansion of the city, the open spaces available seemed to shrink more and more. At the end of the 17th Century, during the reign of Friedrich I, certain structures were introduced that can still be seen today, such as Grosse Stern Square and the Kurfuerstenplatz (Elector Prince Square). At this time, there was an overall transformation of the Tiergarten hunting area into a delightful, relaxing park facility.

Nevertheless, not until the reign of Friedrich II, who wasn’t particularly keen on shooting animals, did the Tiergarten become a free public park. In 1742, the Emperor of Prussia ordered that the fence surrounding it be cleared away and the green space be turned into a Lustpark (Pleasure Park) for the public. Friedrich der Grosse appointed this task to architect Georg von Knobelsdorff, who had to fashion the park according to the Baroque requirements of the time. This included various elements such as water pools, fountains, and small clearspaces equipped with benches, labyrinths and sculptures. The Tierpark became the scene of political change when, in 1848, the first revolutionary state censorship assembly took place there. After the initial planning of Knobelsdorff, the park didn’t undergo major reshaping until Friedrich Wilhelm III commissioned gardener Peter Lenne to refurbish it in the modern 19th-century style. As a result, an English-style, vast, green park was born with many additional ornaments like crossing brooks, small pools, serpentine alleys and even separate theme gardens. Lenne kept many of Knobelsdorff’s original elements, and his design for the Tiergarten remained fairly unchanged until the mid-20th Century.

World War II put its terrible mark on the Tierpark, as well. Not only were many of the facilities destroyed, but also most of the land was used for agriculture and the trees for heating. This total destruction made it quite hard for the postwar manager of the Tierpark, Wilhelm Alverdes, to redevelop it from nothing. Despite all the hardships, his concept to build a recreational park for Berlin’s citizens was realised in the following years by the constant planting of new trees, even during the Berlin Blockade. This park was of particular use for West Berlin’s citizens, who were separated from their natural surroundings. After Germany’s reunification in 1989, some of the Tierpark’s corners did undergo certain changes, mostly in terms of the rebuilding of diplomatic and other official buildings, or the usage of the huge green meadows freely for picnicking or just laying around. Nowadays, some of Berlin’s most famous annual or occasional events take place in the Tiergarten. Examples of such events include the Love Parade and several matches of the World Football Championship in 2006, in the magnificent new stadium. To add to the charms of the facility, there’s a large collection of lovely sculptures dispersed on the park’s premises. One of Berlin’s most-visited sights is Grosse Stern Square, with the impressively high Siegessäule (Victory Column) honouring the Prussian victory over the Danish state. Visitors are also more than welcome to use the playgrounds and alleys available for different kinds of sport, because that’s a part of its recreational concept.